Activision Blizzard Q2 financials show Overwatch is a hit

The latest financials for Activision Blizard have been released and it’s been a healthy period for Blizzard thanks to the release of Overwatch. Diablo doesn’t feature much except to tell you Overwatch is more popular than Diablo 3. Still, it’s always good to see what’s going on.

Blizzard had the biggest quarterly online player community in its history, with MAUs of 33 million, up 29% quarter-over-quarter and 13% year-over-year. This reflects the successful launch of Overwatchand strength across the broader portfolio, includingHearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, which had record quarterly MAUs, and World of Warcraft,which had double-digit MAU growth quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year.

On May 24, 2016, Blizzard launched Overwatch which now has over 15 million players globally, including box and digital sales, internet game room players, and multi-user console households. In China, Overwatch broke the previousrecord set by Diablo III as the fastest-selling PC game in the market’s history.1 Overwatch also currently holds the number one position in Korean Internet Game Rooms with over 30% share of play time.

Players have spent about 500 million hours playing Blizzard’s Overwatch, with additional content updates ahead.

Activision Blizzard GAAP revenues from in-game content reached a record of over $900 million this quarter. Activision Blizzard non-GAAP (as previously defined) revenues from in-game content reached a record of over $1 billion this quarterB. In-game content continues to be a rapidly growing part of the business.

Blizzard had its biggest segment revenue quarter and first half year, ever. Blizzard’s quarterly segment operating income nearly tripled vs. the second quarter last year. Additionally, Blizzard had record second quarter GAAP revenues and record quarterly non-GAAP revenues (as previously defined) in China. Blizzard’s overall performance was driven in particular by Overwatch’s outstanding launch, World of Warcraft’s strong pre-expansion momentum, with Legion pre-purchases tracking in-line with the previous expansion, and Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft’s double digit revenue growth year-over-year.

It’s always good to see how the other franchises are doing as it puts Diablo into perspective when it comes to where Blizzard will focus their attention. As for Overwatch, well personally I don’t see what all the fuss is about, it’s another OK shooter, but Blizzard fans seem to love it.

You’re not the only one 🙂 I hate MOBAs. Had my fair share with LoL and that’s enough. I was weak, this game was addicting and annoying at the same time. Now I despise the whole MOBA genre. And basically online gaming too. Maybe D3 would be more positive for me…

I’m just SIIIIIIICK of PVP games. I did that when I was a teenager on Doom and Doom 2 with friends. On dialup. It’s fun for a few years, and now I’m done competing with other people. I think Blizzard has lost its way as a company. They’re not making that which is new. They’re taking games that other people have made, applying a Blizzard coat of paint to them, and releasing them as titles. What has happened? Who’s steering the reins there? Mike Morhaime must have just given up.

For me, every MOBA is a LoL clone which is a clone of a mod for Warcraft 3 (first DOTA was a special map for W3). Now we have an official version of this… Overwatch – another multiplayer shooter… Never played it and never was hyped about it.

i played overwatch in its free weekend , it was fun with some friends but i’m no fps lover so i never gonna buy that game.All others blizz games i have — i own all wow and diablo CE editions , first statcraft is also CE the others are just from the store.

Never have Blizzard’s offerings been more mediocre, doldrum, flawed & downright lacking in inspiration. And yet, never have their profits been higher. GG to the gaming industry, or does Blizzard get a free pass because China will buy anything with a commercial? I can’t help but feel the west is ultimately to blame for the years & years of buying the same Madden & Call of Duty game every year for so many years.